p.10 #2 · Is Infrared Photography a Fad (for you)?
So, late to this topic, definitely not a fad for me. I shot my first roll of 35mm IR film in the late 70s. By '80 or so I had switched to a view camera, only shooting sheet film. I always carried IR sheets with me. Damn that was tricky, between fog and scratches, pinholes and bad exposures. Then some rolls of medium format IR film after kids were born and I was busier. That worked out a whole lot better than the sheets.
Converted my first DSLR, a D70, to IR as a DIY. I wished I had it done professionally; there was some dust in there, as careful as I tried to be. That camera did some good work, but really it did not have resolution to hold up to modern standards. I still have a few images from it that are good and that I have sold.
The first digital IR camera that was really successful in IR was a converted 2013 vintage Oly MFT. The lens that worked best for IR was a cheap Panasonic Lumix zoom. Not all apertures or focal lengths were good, but overall I got some surprisingly good results. And that lens did better than any more expensive and fancy lenses I had in IR.
I guess it was when used A7R IIs got a bit cheaper that I bought a used one and converted to IR. I knew it would be a problem to have two Sony E mount cameras with me for IR because I shoot primes and I am always juggling cameras to switch lenses. Balancing one body on the bag without a lens while I take it off the other camera to pop on. I don't always do everything with both cameras of course, but often enough. Also a problem that some of my favorite lenses for normal light don't work that well for IR, like the Voigtlander Ultron 35 1.7. Always tempted to rejigger my bag to create better harmony between all cameras.
To me sometimes IR weirdly is more true to the feeling of some foliage, especially in spring and fall. I feel more that the foliage is emitting light rather than reflecting it. Clouds and fog and mist have a subtlety and depth that the regular camera can't always capture no matter what you do in PP, and the IR can get it better.
p.10 #5 · Is Infrared Photography a Fad (for you)?
The Kolari “Hot spot killer” magnetic internal filter completely eliminated the spot from 24, 35, and 50 GMs with the IR-Chrome filter. I have not tried many lenses with it and the R72, but it reduced the spot using the Zeiss ZF.2 28/2 and 24GM by about 90% and eliminated it with the 35GM.
p.10 #7 · Is Infrared Photography a Fad (for you)?
Grenache wrote:
The Kolari “Hot spot killer” magnetic internal filter completely eliminated the spot from 24, 35, and 50 GMs with the IR-Chrome filter. I have not tried many lenses with it and the R72, but it reduced the spot using the Zeiss ZF.2 28/2 and 24GM by about 90% and eliminated it with the 35GM.
Jim
Jim, I'm really interested in your results using the Kolari HSK filter with the R72. I have a 720nm IR-converted a7IV and wonder whether it would allow me to use more of my Sony lenses than I'm currently limited to. Thanks.
p.10 #8 · Is Infrared Photography a Fad (for you)?
Joe Colson wrote:
Jim, I'm really interested in your results using the Kolari HSK filter with the R72. I have a 720nm IR-converted a7IV and wonder whether it would allow me to use more of my Sony lenses than I'm currently limited to. Thanks.
Joe
Hi Joe, I’d love to have been in a position to comment, but Northern California where I live has been so badly hit by drought that there is very little that is green to shoot. I was recently in Oregon where it was lush but only took other filters.
Some of my Sony lenses would show a hot spot when aimed just at the sky. Those are all gone with the HSK, but strong IR reflection from green leaves would be a better test, and even our trees are very muted in their colors with the drought.
p.10 #9 · Is Infrared Photography a Fad (for you)?
I have seen images that suggest the Tamron 17-28 and 28-200 both do very well with IR. Right now i am using the Canon 16-35 L iii (EF mount on an adapter) and it is unbelievably good in IR.
p.10 #10 · Is Infrared Photography a Fad (for you)?
I used to do IR with Ilford films in the 90s. Recently I wanted to do it again but couldn't deal with films etc so I bought a used a6000 and converted to IR. I use it mostly for landscape and portraits because the IR gives an ethereal feel to the image. I use it less than 10% of the time though. My a1 and a7S3 get used the other 90% of the time.
p.10 #11 · Is Infrared Photography a Fad (for you)?
My Sigma 15 and Tokina 10-17 do very well on my d700 (850NM). I cannot focus either lens manually on the D3400 (720 NM), but there are no hotspots. The Sigma 17-50 works well in both 720 and 850 NM.
p.10 #14 · Is Infrared Photography a Fad (for you)?
Grenache wrote:
The Kolari “Hot spot killer” magnetic internal filter completely eliminated the spot from 24, 35, and 50 GMs with the IR-Chrome filter. I have not tried many lenses with it and the R72, but it reduced the spot using the Zeiss ZF.2 28/2 and 24GM by about 90% and eliminated it with the 35GM.
Jim
Do you have a before and after by chance with the 24 or 35? I have a full spectrum a7r that I use exclusively with the IR Chrome filter, so I’m curious about the HSK. I’m mostly using a 28-60 but I have the GM’s (although the 24GM seems weirdly soft on the full spectrum camera versus my a7r4)
p.10 #15 · Is Infrared Photography a Fad (for you)?
I bought an a6500 and I am getting it converted to full spectrum. I can't wait to shoot IR chrome. These are probably some of my last images with my a6000 and it will soon be going up on the B/S forum.
p.10 #17 · Is Infrared Photography a Fad (for you)?
I imagine color infrared is not for everyone. I used to think I was only interested in B&W when it came to IR but then I saw someone posted a gorgeous IR Chrome image and it instantly changed my mind. Today, I received some filters in the mail, one of them was a B+W KB20 blue filter. I bought it to try and capture cotton candy color when I receive my full spectrum camera (some additional filters are necessary to obtain the color). Well, I was experimenting with the filters on my current 470nm a6000 and the B+W KB20 produced some great cotton candyesque like results. So I took it out this evening and captured some images.
p.10 #18 · Is Infrared Photography a Fad (for you)?
Harold Carlson wrote:
I imagine color infrared is not for everyone. I used to think I was only interested in B&W when it came to IR but then I saw someone posted a gorgeous IR Chrome image and it instantly changed my mind. Today, I received some filters in the mail, one of them was a B+W KB20 blue filter. I bought it to try and capture cotton candy color when I receive my full spectrum camera (some additional filters are necessary to obtain the color). Well, I was experimenting with the filters on my current 470nm a6000 and the B+W KB20 produced some great cotton candyesque like results. So I took it out this evening and captured some images. ...Show more →
The color IR sure have striking looks! Dug out my IR camera yesterday for a quick trip to Annapolis
p.10 #20 · Is Infrared Photography a Fad (for you)?
Probably the last shot with my 470nm a6000 as I just got my full spectrum a6500 back today from being converted. I'm anxious to give IR Chrome a try. This was shot with a generic 850nm filter which works well for me.
